Adults, particularly parents and older siblings of a child are accustomed to having to carry the child in a piggy-back fashion. This carrying style is often referred to as a “piggy-back ride.” In order to carry a child “piggy-back,” the child may be positioned on the back of the person providing the ride with the child's arms draped over the shoulders of the person providing the ride. The child's legs may be supported by the arms of the person providing the ride. Typically, the child's legs are looped through the arms of the person providing the ride so that the back of the child's thighs rest against the forearm regions of the person providing the ride. The person providing the ride must then maintain their arms in a roughly ninety degree bend to provide the needed support of the child's legs. Depending on the size of the child, the child's arms may encircle the neck of the person providing the ride, or be draped over the shoulders of the person.
While providing a piggy-back ride as described above may be sustainable for short durations, it can be quite difficult for both the child and the person providing the ride to maintain the required positions over a prolonged period. One of the difficulties that can arise from a conventional piggy-back ride is the cut-off of blood circulation in the arms of the person providing the ride and the legs of the child due to the weight of the child bearing down on the person's arms. Another difficulty can arise from the child's arm fatigue resulting from having to hang on to the neck and/or shoulders of the person providing the ride, as well as choking of the person providing the ride when the child's arms encircle the person's neck. The arms of the person providing the ride may also fatigue because the person's arms must support much of the weight of the child without rest in order to give the ride. Furthermore, the ability of a child to receive a comfortable and sustainable piggy-back ride is dependent in part on the physical attributes of both the child and the person providing the ride. Both the shape, size and strength of the child and the person providing the ride will dictate whether a piggy-back ride can be accomplished at all, and if so, for how long.
Accordingly, there is a need for a child carrier that can make it easier for an adult to carry a child in piggy-back fashion. One or more embodiments of the present invention may address this need, as will be apparent from the description of such embodiments below.